CARLSBAD, Calif. — Auburn senior J.M. Butler polished off a dominant two days at La Costa by successful the anchor match Wednesday to provide the Tigers the ultimate level they wanted to beat Florida State and seize their first NCAA title in males’s golf.
“A school profession isn’t full with out a nationwide championship,” Butler stated. “That is for all my teammates who push me each single day.”
Butler by no means trailed in any of the three matches he performed, making him the correct participant for Auburn if the championship got here all the way down to the ultimate match.
He was clinging to a 1-up lead over Luke Clanton of Florida State when Butler holed an 8-foot par putt on the thirteenth gap to remain forward. The matched turned closely in his favor on the fifteenth. Clanton’s strategy to the agency inexperienced took a tough hop, went over the again and ran down a steep slope and into the water.
He made double bogey, giving Butler a 2-up lead. Butler saved par from a again bunker on the par-3 sixteenth to remain 2 up, and he closed him out by stuffing his strategy to eight ft. Clanton drove right into a bunker and couldn’t attain the inexperienced.
Clanton’s final hope was to chip in. He eliminated the pin, and the shot hit the again of the cup with a lot tempo that it hopped out. Clanton dropped to the bottom on his again, protecting his eyes in disbelief.
Butler rolled his putt down to some inches was conceded par for a decisive 2-and-1 win and the celebration was on.
“I used to be feeling nothing” Butler stated concerning the nerves. “I’ve ready for this second, I’ve labored extraordinarily exhausting for this. I knew I needed to get out of my approach and I’d come out on prime.”
Clanton was devastated, sobbing as his teammates consoled him.
“I’m simply gutted for them proper now,” Florida State coach Trey Jones stated. “Second place within the nationwide championship is one thing we’ll look again on as a very good season. However we got here right here to win, and it’s disappointing.”
Auburn was the No. 6 seed of eight groups, easing by North Carolina after which successful a decent match towards Ohio State within the semifinals.
Halfway by means of the championship match, it turned clear this one could be determined by the anchor match.
